Online
sessions have replaced classroom learning as the Covid-19 pandemic runs its course through our cities, and alongside, parents have been trying their hand at homeschooling their
children
. “Naturally, with kids being at home, the responsibility falls on parents, which can be challenging since many of them are juggling between household and work,” says Pooja Chandra, director of Morning Glorie, a 10-year-old pre- and playschool in South City-1.
Schools are likely to remain closed for the foreseeable future but they’ll just as likely open again. But for those who run preschools and
daycare
centres, the outlook is grim. Steep rents, pending salaries and a lack of funds have left many thinking if it’s at all worth the trouble. “We do not have the resources to sustain without revenue,” Chandra points out. For the young ones, it’s been a disorienting experience. “The pandemic has taken a toll on children too – they cannot step outside or meet anyone,” rues Radhika Vazvani, mother of a three-year-old daughter.
Teachers have adapted but it’s not so straightforward for others. “While teachers have evolved into a new role, school-bus drivers, helpers and caretakers have lost their jobs, and we are not able to do anything for them. So many of them depended on these jobs as their pri-mary source of income,” says Neha Mathur, a teacher at Chalk Tree Global
School
, Sector 57.
On top of the uncertainty is the lack of any relief on the horizon, or a roadmap for a restart. “Many of these units face shutdown,” Chandra told TOI.
Out at iDiscoveri, all staff, including teachers, administrators and helpers, are women. “They might lose their jobs if preschools are not supported both by parents and the government,” says Shalini Gauba, principal and founder of the Sector 46
preschool
. That only 20% of parents have paid fees to iDiscoveri in the last month highlights the extent of the challenge.
Zero enrolmentExpectedly, no city preschool has received fresh applications for
admission. And while some parents have told managements they want to withdraw their wards, others have shown support by paying tuition fees. Still, this barely covers running costs. “The small quantum of fees that we are receiving isn’t enough to cover our fixed expenses – most daycares and preschools, including ours, are struggling to meet even a part of these expenses,” worries Chandra, adding daycare should be identified as an essential service.
Even so, a lack of certainty shouldn’t get in the way of planning for a new reality. Raghav Sharma, founder of South City-1 preschool and daycare centre Medhaam, is keen on emphasising the importance of virtual activity-based learning. Instead of waiting for the government to act, he thinks, preschools would be better off taking their services online. As Medhaam has done. “Our teachers are working hard – they’re taking online activity sessions, curating videos on yoga and health and getting panellists on board for children,” says Sharma, who is also president of the preschool association in Gurugram.
Indeed, for Poorva Sachdeva, a mother of two, online lessons have turned out to be a blessing in disguise. “We are trying our best to homeschool them but virtual classes have been a great support. We are paying the fees and getting something in return, especially in times when we don’t know when the schools will reopen,” she says.
Naturally, time is an issue for many mothers and fathers. “Some of the parents complain that they won’t be able to sit through the online
class
with their child as they juggle with household chores and office responsibilities,” Sharma says. “They are OK if their child takes a gap of one year but they must realise this time will not come back for their child.”
Online safe, but sustainable?Yet, while the debate continues on whether preschools should reopen with standard operating procedures in place, many parents are adamant about not sending their children to ‘school’ anytime soon. Sachdeva would rather this academic year be put on hold than the health of children be put at risk. “Yes, screen time is up but what else can the children do?” she asks.
Besides, there is no alternative. “This is the new normal and we have to get used to it,” acknowledges Vazvani. “I have been homeschooling my three-year-old, and her teachers at preschool have been uploading poems and stories through video.”
Gauba of iDiscoveri agrees. “We adults are so afraid to step out of the house, so sending children to school is something no parent will agree to. We have to make peace with the arrangement of homeschooling.” Gauba believes there is also an opportunity for growth. “Online sessions garnered very average response from children initially as their attention span is low. It’s a new thing for them but they will slowly get used to it,” she maintains.
“It’s new for us also; we were reluctant to make the shift initially but now my staff and I have been attending webinars on how to educate preschoolers and keep them engaged online,” adds Gauba.
But, even if kids embrace online classes, the revenue stream has already taken too much of a hit for there to be any chance of immediate recovery. “We are charging 50% of the fee but our student strength has come down to 30% in May and June. With no support from the government, the industry might not survive, especially the facilities that pay rent,” Sharma says. “It is happening in Bangalore, people are shutting down; a crisis in Gurugram is not far off. Out of 100, at the most four to five will survive.”
Parents like Vazvani, meanwhile, will make the most of what they have. “These 30-minute online sessions are a fun respite for Nysaa. We don’t know when things will change but we continue to pay the schools partially as my daughter loves interacting with her teachers and classmates online.”
The relationship between teacher and child has temporarily left the classroom, and no one knows when it will renew. “We are definitely missing the openness, the personal touch and classroom vibe. But if we talk about the safety of the children, online is the best way ahead,” reasons Mathur.